Fixture

Barry deserve great credit for honouring this Division 1 East Central fixture in Mountain Ash with a severely weakened team due to injuries and unavailabilities. With no relegation this season, they could have taken the easy option of just cancelling the game like many other clubs have done this season, but to their great credit they didn’t. The players which represented Barry showed great spirit to keep going to the end and never quit.

The game started with probably the fastest try in the 146 year history of Mountain Ash Rugby Club. After the well-placed drop-out by outside half Callum Hall was left to bounce by the visitors’ forwards, quickly-up Mount wing Declan Conway won the jump for the ball and tore away from 25 metres out to score in the corner to make it 5-0 with 7 or 8 seconds played at most. It was a sensational start.

The restart by Barry saw outside half Hall kick from the Mount 22 to 5 metres out from the Barry line where the Old Firm secured the lineout. An inside pass to Alex Hughes saw the centre go over for the second try, Hall converting to make it 12-0 after 4 minutes.

Full back Jarrod Cushion gave left wing Morgan James a scoring pass a couple of minutes later, Hall converting to make it 19-0, and then the bonus point try came in the 7^th minute when a kick through the Barry defence on the visitors’ 10 metre line from a Mount attack saw outside half Hall outpace the defence to pick up, touch down and then convert, which made it 26-0.

Prop Bleddyn Lock scored followed by outside half Hall who run in from 40 metres from a pass by full back Cushion. Hall converted both these to make it 40-0.

Scrum half Ross Davies, No.8 Jordan Burke and hooker and captain Jarrad Parfitt all went over from close-in, Hall converting the last two to take Mount into half time 59-0 up.

Although up against it in the second half, Barry were unbowed and made a better game of it, showing better ball retention and more attacking play.

A kick by the Old Firm from their own 22 after a Barry attack was quickly followed up by scrum half Morgan Cartwright who tackled a defender, the ball spilling into the hands of flanker Ewan Rees who run in from 40 metres. Hall converted to make it 66-0.

Full back Cushion and scrum half Cartwright run in for tries, each from 40 metres, both of which Hall converted to make it 80-0 on the hour.

Barry rallied and put together a sustained attack in the Mount 22, showing good ball retention, but a turnover saw a long pass by Cushion to wing Morgan James who took play into the visitors’ half and gave an inside pass to Hall who showed good pace to keep a hard-chasing defender just out of his reach. Centre Jamie Long finished off another long range attack to make it 90-0, and then a 50/22 kick by scrum half Cartwright saw Mount take the 5 metre lineout and give to oncoming centre Alex Hughes who scored near the posts. Wing Declan Conway converted to make it 97-0.

Barry put together their best attack of the game, taking play through a number of phases up to the Mount line, but after the ball was dropped it was put through a couple of pairs of hands to full back Cushion who run 80 metres down the touchline unopposed to score under the posts, Conway converting to bring the scoring to an end.

Outside half Callum Hall scored a hat-trick of tries and converted 10 to score a total of 35 points, and full back Jarrod Cushion and centre Alex Hughes got two each. Both Hall and Cushion have 11 tries for the season, hooker and captain Jarrad Parfitt just behind on 9.

The bonus point win took the Old Firm to the top of the Division 1 East Central table with two games in hand of Rumney who are level on points. Top of the table Mount may be, but they need to continue winning if they are to stay there. The team’s resolve will be tested this Saturday, 23 April, when they travel to play Cambrian Welfare, kick off 2:30pm.

In the semi-final of the Coors Mid District Cup, Mount will play either Beddau or Ystrad Rhondda on a date and a venue to be confirmed. Details will be posted on the club website when they are known.